tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70305867403172546872018-09-17T08:49:27.955+01:00The ArboretumCrochet and craftSarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-40106986060408416322012-12-20T17:16:00.000+00:002012-12-20T17:16:01.543+00:00Moth Shawl<br />Here is my latest pattern release - the Moth Shawl. It is a triangular lace shawl designed to be made from fingering-weight yarn. The lace is intended to represent tiny winged creatures. These are friendly moths who won't devour your stash!<br /><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/purchase/sarah-francis-designs/131447"><img border="0" src="http://www.ravelry.com/images/shopping/buy-now.gif" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zQqdRkHCeVs/UNNG46u8KlI/AAAAAAAAAF4/cd2nq0dqCic/s1600/Summer_2012_766crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zQqdRkHCeVs/UNNG46u8KlI/AAAAAAAAAF4/cd2nq0dqCic/s320/Summer_2012_766crop.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br />The pattern is on sale for £3.50 at Ravelry, which comprises a PDF download containing written instructions, several charts and photographs.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0huVHR-8Ssk/UNNHFaTsoeI/AAAAAAAAAGI/scqvkZA1U8c/s1600/Summer_2012_774crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0huVHR-8Ssk/UNNHFaTsoeI/AAAAAAAAAGI/scqvkZA1U8c/s320/Summer_2012_774crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The working on various permutations of this rule that the summer and I am glad that it is finally ready for release. A big thank you to my pattern testers for helping me to work out various kinks in the pattern and checking that it knits up well, and to my Dad for taking the lovely photographs of the shawl.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nkpk8an_5cQ/UNNG_1O4_xI/AAAAAAAAAGA/lo8uadmIXWM/s1600/Summer_2012_772crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nkpk8an_5cQ/UNNG_1O4_xI/AAAAAAAAAGA/lo8uadmIXWM/s320/Summer_2012_772crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/purchase/sarah-francis-designs/131447"><img border="0" src="http://www.ravelry.com/images/shopping/buy-now.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/badges/redirect?p=moth-shawl"><img src="http://api.ravelry.com/badges/projects?p=moth-shawl&amp;t=.gif" style="border: none;" /></a>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-76238645816383438042012-11-05T14:31:00.004+00:002012-11-05T14:32:52.870+00:00Matilda and WovemberThis weekend, I went to see <a href="http://uk.matildathemusical.com/">Matilda the Musical</a>&nbsp;at the Cambridge Theatre in London with my family. It was my choice - I had heard that it had received lots of plaudits and when asked which musical we should see as a family (my family + my uncle, aunt and cousins) then I suggested Matilda. So I approached with some trepidation - I would feel responsible if it was dull, boring or 'unsuitable'.<br /><br />Thankfully, it was none of those things. I loved the book by Roald Dahl as a child and identified strongly with the clever little girl who enjoyed reading books (mercifully, I didn't identify with the unappreciated, unwanted daughter aspect of the character). The musical really captured the spirit of the books - riotous fun and just a little subversive. Having entered the theatre not knowing any of the songs, I've been happily humming 'When I Grow Up' and 'Miracle' since we left. The set design is really imaginative - full of books, rising desks, swings and things to climb up, and had plenty to look at during the interval. If you can get to London, then go to see it! It really is good - as a group of adults, we thought that any children aged 8+ would love it. There are some loud bits, sudden flashing lights, cruel parents and a scary headteacher so younger children might not cope.<br /><br /><br />It's also <a href="http://wovember.com/">Wovember</a>, so my Google Reader has been filled with lots of pictures of sheep and woolen objects over the past week. Wovember was established last year to celebrate real wool and real sheep. Personally, I knit a lot with wool but wear little of it in bought garments (the jumper I'm wearing today is 60% cotton and 40% polyester). However, wool is so much more evocative and connected to the lives of real people and animals than polyester. As a knitter and crocheter, I'm a little more keyed in than the average person to the idea that different breeds of sheep make different types of wool for different purposes, but I can't tell you the last time that I actually touched a live sheep (I was probably 8 and at a Rare Breeds Farm) or really got up close to one. What I've really enjoyed from the Wovember posts is the opportunity to get closer (via the internet) to sheep and where my wool comes from.Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-31003696392541067152012-10-19T14:15:00.000+01:002012-10-19T14:15:05.463+01:00What I've been...<b>Hearing:</b><br /><b><br /></b><b><a href="http://www.freshstitches.com/crochet-chat-podcast-online-resources-for-crocheters/">Crochet Chat</a> - </b>I was somewhat bereft when long-time crochet podcaster Mary-Beth Temple decided to wrap up proceedings and focus her energy elsewhere. But her place has been admirably filled by this podcast from Stacey Trock aka Fresh Stitches. Stacey is known for her adorable stuffed animals and cute graphics and brings a new voice to crochet podcasting. With great guests such as Laurie Wheeler, founder of the Crochet Liberation Front and Stacey's insights into the crochet industry, this blog has become a staple on my playlist.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52khu_YJAmo">The Story Board</a>&nbsp;</b>&nbsp;- this is strictly a youtube video series, but as the video portion consists of various authors sitting in front of skype and chatting to each other, I've been using it more as a podcast. Patrick Rothfuss, author of the phenomenal 'Name of the Wind', chats to other successful authors about the craft of writing and storytelling. It's great to hear (and see, if you wish) from people who are passionate about storytelling and what makes a good story.<br /><br /><b>Reading:</b><br /><b><br /></b><b><a href="http://katedaviesdesigns.com/">Needled</a> &nbsp;- </b>this is&nbsp;the blog of knitting designer, researcher and advocate Kate Davies. Kate writes intelligently both about her designs and knitting history, and she is closely involved in the advocacy of Shetland wool. Each post is accompanied by photographs of her designs and nature, mainly in the beautiful landscapes of Scotland and Shetland. I feel like I learn something about the history of knitting each time she thoughtfully writes about her latest project.<br /><b><br /></b><b>Watching:</b><br /><b><br /></b><b><a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/revenge/4od">Revenge</a> - </b>this glossy American drama focuses upon Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) and her quest for revenge against the Hamptons-residing Grayson family who framed her father. The characters live in the lap of luxury, making this pure escapist fun, full of glamorous dresses, luscious beach-side scenery and sumptuous sets. And it's not just pretty. There's tension and mystery as Emily manipulates Hamptons society to get revenge and find out exactly what happened to her father.<br /><br /><b>Making:</b><br /><b><br /></b><b>A Knitted Shawl - </b>it's my own pattern, so unfortunately I can't provide a link to it yet. It's made out of some Wollmeise 100% Merino Superwash in a brilliant blue (WD Nazar Boncugu), and will have an all-over lace design. I designed the lace portion of the shawl in the springtime, and I used the <a href="http://knittingkninja.com/2010/04/30/on-designing-a-lace-triangle-ii/">Knitting Kninja's tutorial on designing lace triangles</a>&nbsp;to help understand how to take my lace design from a basic rectangle to a growing triangle.<br /><br /><br /><br />Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-36039467975317687452012-10-08T17:38:00.000+01:002012-10-08T17:38:00.607+01:00Hiding in the Cloisters at Cleeve AbbeyI visited <a href="http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/cleeve-abbey/">Cleeve Abbey</a> in August. Like my trip to <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/bunting-and-beverages-in-blakeney.html">Blakeney</a>, visiting Cleeve provided a welcome respite during a week of frantic cooking and preparing activities, this time near Minehead.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/8053451769_9ce047e715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/8053451769_9ce047e715.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Cleeve was a Cistercian Abbey. The Cistercian Order was formed at the very end of the eleventh century in eastern France and spread across Europe in the twelfth-century. Cistercians were characterised by their white habits and dedication to manual labour. Famous abbeys of the order in Britain include Fountains, Furness, Melrose, Rievaulx and Strata Florida. During its lifetime as an abbey, Cleeve wasn't very important - &nbsp;it was the daughter house of Revesby Abbey in Lincolnshire, but located in a fairly remote Somerset valley. However, as a heritage site it is remarkably well-preserved. And by 'remarkably well-preserved' I mean that some of the buildings still have roofs.<br /><br />The church was demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, but the other buildings were converted into a manor house. Over the centuries, the importance of the tenants decreased until the 19th century when it was occupied by farmers. Its importance as an historical site was identified by George Luttrell of nearby Dunster Castle in the 1870s, who acquired it and conducted archaeological excavations, making the site into a tourist attraction. Today it is managed by English Heritage. I am a member, so got in for free.<br /><br />It was a wet day and I ignored the instructions of the man in the ticket office and explored outside first, while there was a break in the rain.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8453/8053454637_2afa4e8113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8453/8053454637_2afa4e8113.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This photograph shows the recovered foundations of the abbey church, into the cloisters with the dormitory as the two-storey building on the left. It was very peaceful outside, I think the rumbling sky and the fairly isolated location had put off most visitors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Beside the abbey site were fields filled with sheep - a reminder that the Cisterican order didn't just pray and copy manuscripts, but were also manual labourers. Though the spiritual importance of the site was removed by Henry VIII, it still remained a fertile valley where sheep could be reared.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8053453241_184270da0d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8053453241_184270da0d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Although most of the inside of the abbey consisted of cavernous, empty rooms with descriptions and pictures of what they might have looked like when the abbey was operating, there were still a few gems. A medieval wall painting in one of the rooms, sealed off from visitors so that the environment could be controlled to preserve the painting, and a carved ceiling in the refectory. In the long dormitory, several of the window sills were covered with medieval tiles and outside, beneath a marquee, there was a whole uncovered floor of heraldic tiles.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/8053454634_3b0b81c6cf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/8053454634_3b0b81c6cf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cleeve Abbey isn't a grand palace that demands your attention. Instead, it is a quiet, peaceful place, with cracked tiles and vast empty rooms. Stripped of its wealth, it has still retained its dignity. Elsie J Oxenham, author of the 'Abbey' series was inspired by the site and so was I.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8053448737_e26068f79c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8053448737_e26068f79c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br />Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-55092214056263718012012-10-06T16:33:00.000+01:002012-10-06T16:33:00.464+01:00What I've been...<b>Hearing:</b><br /><b><br /></b><b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01n1rbn">In Our Time - Gerald of Wales</a>&nbsp;- </b>as an errant medievalist, I can never resist when Melvin Bragg and guests speak on a medieval subject. Gerald of Wales was always a little late for my studies, but I did use him in essays as an example of &nbsp;intermarriage between Welsh and Norman nobility, and the way that Gerald felt that his mixed parentage halted his rise to power within the church. This programme goes much further beyond my blinkered view of Gerald, with well-informed experts expounding about Gerald's background, travels, writings and struggles to climb the church hierarchy.<br /><br /><a href="http://nevernotknitting.blogspot.co.uk/p/podcast.html"><b>Never Not Knitting</b></a>&nbsp;- Alana Dakos' gentle knitting podcast is back after a six month break. Alana's podcast was the first knitting podcast that I listened to, and it really opened up a new world to me - that there were smart, intelligent, funny people (mainly women but not all) talking about knitting in engaging ways. For a craft that is so visual and tactile, I was surprised to find that podcasts work so well. Alana gives an insight into the life of a knitting designer and mother, and her blog is full of her stunningly photographed knitted designs.<br /><b><br /></b><b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lvdrj">Kermode and Mayo's Film Review</a>&nbsp;- </b>Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo review films. It does what it says on the tin. And more. Running for over ten years, the pair have developed their own quirks that are well-appreciated by fans - Kermodian rants, 'hello to Jason Isaacs' and elaborate descriptions of listeners accomplishments accompany their comments on films.<br /><br /><b>Reading:</b><br /><b><br /></b><b><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heroes-Joe-Abercrombie/dp/0575083859">The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie</a>&nbsp;- </b>a nuanced view of a single battle in a fairly realistic fantasy world. The book focuses on six characters over three days as they prepare to fight over an unimportant circle of stones on the border between two polities. I haven't read Abercrombie's other novels so it might be that more about the setting is explained in his First Law trilogy. Reading it as a stand-alone, I was caught up in his gritty depiction of a medievalish battle (cavalry, infantry as well as the first test of the cannon). Abercrombie uses his title well - the Heroes is the name of the stone circle that the armies are fighting over, but he also intelligently questions who and what is a hero.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heroes-Joe-Abercrombie/dp/0575083859">The Number Mysteries by Marcus du Sautoy</a>&nbsp;- </b>Having studied humanities at university, I am trying to rectify the situation slightly by reading popular science books. Marcus du Sautoy is the Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and a mathematician at the University of Oxford (obligatory boo, hiss), so is perfectly placed to try and help me. The Number Mysteries looks at five big questions in mathematics in &nbsp;a user-friendly way, showing how mathematics can also help solve other problems. He looks at how our understanding of various problems has developed as well, which provides a narrative to a subject which is dependent on data rather than story. Although du Sautoy occasionally jumps a little further than I am able to follow, it is a very user-friendly book and helped me to remember how much fun maths can be.<br /><br /><b>Watching:</b><br /><b><br /></b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01n86yd/The_Great_British_Bake_Off_Series_3_Biscuits/"><b>The Great British Bake-Off</b></a> - I must admit that I, along with millions of others in the UK, am glued to this reality show where bakers compete to show that they can make perfect pies, pastry and puddings. This show not only has a competitive element as bakers are eliminated each week, but is also didactic - I've learnt that strudel pastry has to be rolled until it is almost see-through, setting agents are integral to making a proper'American-style' pie and it's ok if your chocolate pudding falls on your shoe, so long as it tastes good. Mel and Sue are amusing, Paul and Mary are authoritative and the bakers are inspiring.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01n3gbj/Vikings_Episode_3/">Vikings&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;- </b>I have had a love-hate relationship with this documentary series. On one hand, it's exciting to see a documentary about my period and to see places I've only read about in books (Birka, Staraja Ladoga, Repton) on screen. On the other hand, I know too much about the period to be satisfied with the title or some of the explanations. 'Vikings' is a loaded term in medieval scholarship, and while I admire the team for sticking with it consistently, it doesn't adequately describe the Scandinavians who settled in Russia, Iceland, or stayed back in Scandinavian. I also felt that the first programme took too long a view on the prehistory of Scandinavia - I'd have preferred a little more thought about how much affect the Bronze Age Scandinavians had upon the medieval Scandinavians. Examples from 2000 years before the Vikings were used to try and explain their activities.<br /><br />I would have liked to have seen more on the Roman and early medieval period Scandinavians - bog deposits, gullgubber and the Vendel ship burials could have filled half an hour easily. And, trying to avoid making this a long rant, a better survey of the Old Norse religion (not jumping straight to the late medieval Icelandic manuscripts) and a more nuanced assessment of the Alfred jewel (it says 'Alfred had me made', it doesn't say 'King Alfred had me made', there's a difference) would have been appreciated. Still, watch it - the Vikings are much more than &nbsp;pillagers and raiders, and I think that this show managed to get that point across well.<br /><br /><b>Making</b>:<br /><br /><b>Chocolate Brownies - </b>I've made quite a few batches of chocolate brownies over the last few weeks. I was asked to do the catering for a getaway for a few college Christian Unions, and decided that I would make chocolate brownies for dessert one evening. Of course, I had to practice before I went so I made the recipe from the <a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/Marks-and-Spencer-Baking-Recipe/dp/B0035RTCAE">M&amp;S Baking Day</a> book (mine has a different cover, but I think that it's the same book). Having made this recipe, my Mum then asked me to make some brownies for a friend of hers so I made the <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/brookes-best-bombshell-brownies/">Brooke's Best Bombshell Brownies</a>&nbsp;recipes. Finally, I was asked to dinner at the home of my Bible study group leaders so I wanted to bring something that they and their kids would enjoy. Brownies! I only had one egg, however, so I looked through my various cookbooks for the recipe with the smallest egg requirement. That was in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Chocolate-Living-Patricia-Lousada/dp/0789448386">DK Chocolate</a> book. These ones ended up quite thin and crunchy because my tin was a little too big, but the others were both delicious.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snapdragon-tam">Snapdragon Tam</a> - </b>I love Ysolda Teague's whimsical designs and decided to embark on this tam as a present for my friend. The instructions were clear and well-laid out and the stitching varied between requiring little and intense concentration. Unfortunately, I was not successful. I didn't weigh my yarn (lovely, squishy Malabrigo Worsted in Lilac) beforehand, and ended up running out of a yarn before I reached the decreases. I considered ripping back and starting the decreases earlier, but instead chose to cut my losses and buy my friend a dinosaur cookie cutter and other baking bits. It's a great pattern, and one that I hope to revisit when I have the right amount of yarn.<br /><br /><br /><br />Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-21115781723394506322012-10-04T15:30:00.001+01:002012-10-04T16:34:01.321+01:00Bunting and beverages in BlakeneyIf you've heard of Blakeney, it's probably because of the seals. Those marine mammals actually reside in Blakeney Point. Blakeney village itself is separated from the sea and the habitat of the seals by miles of salt marshes. Once a bustling a seaport, encroaching silt made it impossible for larger boats to reach the town. Now its principal visitors are tourists, who can go on boat trips out to see the seals, walk through the marshes or climb the hill, passing the characteristic Norfolk flint-and-brick cottages.<br /><div><br /></div><div>I found myself, lacking funds to go on a boat trip and lacking suitable footwear to go on a walk, in the third category. The part of Blakeney that I explored is principally a narrow street, with houses on either side and picturesque little alleys leading across to more cottages.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/8053444768_c7761ec4f0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/8053444768_c7761ec4f0.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div>As you can see in this photo, most of the road is marked with double-yellow lines. When we first explored this street, the whole road was blocked by an Adnams lorry delivering to the pub. We had to slide down the side of a queue of cars, unable to do u-turns due to the narrow nature of the road. When I returned to take these pictures, the lorry and the queue had cleared and peace had returned.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8036/8053448834_e8ac23a6e1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8036/8053448834_e8ac23a6e1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Many of the doors, and door and window frames were painted in eggshell blue and grayish tones of red, pink, purple, blue and green.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The harbour was filled with crabbers - children dropping nets down the harbour wall and into the stream in the hopes of catching some Norfolk crab.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8053442240_2a17b8dc30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8053442240_2a17b8dc30.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a windy day and the bunting that stretched all the way down the harbour was flapping wildly.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8033/8053440800_ee94179e59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8033/8053440800_ee94179e59.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was visiting with some women who I was cooking with on a camp in Holt (<a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/where-july-went.html">yes, the same place as I went last year</a>). As a student, my friends and I would never consider going up to a posh hotel and having tea there - we have the assumption that such a place will be out of our price range. But visiting Blakeney with some women who are older than I, they had decided that they wanted to have tea at the Blakeney Hotel. It turned out to be less expensive than Costa Coffee and we found a little sitting room to ourselves with views across the terrace to the harbour. Having spent a week slaving over a hot stove (or at least, cutting up salad for 250 people), it was a great place to relax and feel pampered.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The shopping in Blakeney left much to be desired when compared with nearby Holt, but it was sufficiently picturesque and peaceful to calm my soul.</div>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-36398034965243327682012-07-09T14:45:00.003+01:002012-07-09T14:47:03.423+01:00The Shawls of 2012 (1. Buryan)I've spent the past year doing an MPhil, and consequently, this blog has been somewhat neglected. I have still been knitting and crocheting, but my room doesn't have very good light and the weather in Britain has been somewhat appalling over the past couple of months. Thus, I haven't really got my act together to get some of my creations photographed.<br /><br />I've made several shawls this year. As I was giving one of them away to a friend, then that was the kick into action that I needed to get it photographed. But it was another rainy day, so I ended up shoved into the one picturesque corner of my room (a white painted fireplace), trying to get some decent shots. I took a lot, and ended up with three 'modelled' shots that I like, and more 'on a white background' shots that are decent.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7535029800_0fcee70098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7535029800_0fcee70098.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I thought that I would post the pictures up here. The shawl is another variation on the clustered trebles technique that I used on the <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/endellion-shawl.html">Endellion shawl</a>, and was an attempt to use up some leftover Wollmeise 80/20 Sockenwolle (the Pfefferminz Prinz that I had previously used on my <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/multnomah-shawl-and-flamies.html">Multnomah</a>&nbsp;and the Vergissmeinnicht from the <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/idony-fingerless-gloves.html">Idony gloves&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/knotty-gloves-and-wollmeise.html">Knotty</a> gloves). It ended up a little shorter than I really wanted, but I really like the mix of the two yarns.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/7535028552_59aed95075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/7535028552_59aed95075.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After making Buryan (I thought after Endellion, I could use Cornish saints as theme names for my shawls), I've made two more shawls. However, my parents have taken one of them (Petroc) home. I'm off on my usual summer transit, helping on various camps, so I don't think that I'll be able to photograph it until the end of August. My other shawl, Piran, is almost finished. I'm trying to work out how to do the edging and the bind off at the moment. Hopefully, I'll be able to photograph it on my travels. All three of these shawls are my own designs, so when I have time, I'm hoping to write up the patterns, get them tested and then release them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7268/7535029300_3953d70d9c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7268/7535029300_3953d70d9c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hopefully, it won't be another ten months until I post here again!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-44781713082750765192011-09-05T15:49:00.001+01:002011-09-05T16:04:41.900+01:00Esmée in UK TerminologyI've converted the Esmée pattern into UK terminology (dc instead of sc, and tr instead of dc). It should be available to download alongside the US terminology pattern when you buy it on Ravelry. There weren't any drastic changes to the pattern aside from changing letters, but hopefully it will be easier for people who are fluent in UK terminology to understand! Please let me know if any parts are unclear, or if I accidentally left in a rogue 'sc' or changed some letters that shouldn't have been changed (eg dchematic rather than schematic!).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/purchase/sarah-francis-designs/73915"><img border="0" src="http://www.ravelry.com/images/shopping/buy-now.gif" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6056227514/" title="DSC_1541 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_1541" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6070/6056227514_a7cf47277f.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><br />I'm not really working on any projects at the moment. I am awaiting some Quince and Co yarn from Loop, which I intend to make into some swatches to try and submit to various publications. However, most of my time is taken up with making notes for my Master's dissertation, which I am starting at the beginning of October.Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-21369103973340101562011-08-18T17:48:00.001+01:002011-08-18T17:51:04.221+01:00Esmée RelaunchedI've been a busy bee the last couple of weeks, rewriting Esmée and then formatting the pattern, drawing charts and a schematic, and getting photos. But it is finally done and released!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6055667413/" title="DSC_1535 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_1535" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6063/6055667413_004e7c355d.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/purchase/sarah-francis-designs/73915"><img border="0" src="http://www.ravelry.com/images/shopping/buy-now.gif" /></a><br /><br />The blurb from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/esmee-cardigan">Ravelry</a>:<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br /><div style="font-size: 1em; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Esmée Cardigan is a shaped lace crochet cardigan.</div><div style="font-size: 1em; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The first version of this cardigan was published in&nbsp;Inside Crochet&nbsp;magazine in the January 2011 issue, which is available as a paper copy, a digital copy on yudu.com, or as a pdf from KAL media. This version is in UK terminology.</div><div style="font-size: 1em; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">As there were considerable errata problems with the original published pattern, it has been completely rewritten in US terminology, with charts, a detailed schematic and measurements, and fit alterations. This version also includes instructions for a 54in size (as well as 30-50in as in the original pattern). This pattern is available to buy as a pdf download from Ravelry, and comprises 11 pages.</div><div style="font-size: 1em; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A sample was made in Jamieson and Smith 2 Ply Jumper weight in blue. Although aesthetically it is very similar to the original pattern, there have been several changes in the construction of the cardigan, to try and ensure a better fit - in particular, sleeve shaping and placement of neckline shaping.</div><div style="font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Some other details that were too long/didn't really fit the Ravelry blurb:<br /><br />If you're wavering between buying the Inside Crochet version or this new Ravelry download version, then I'd urge you to buy this new pattern. Not just because I get the money from it, but because I've put a lot of work into making this a really good pattern, with lots of features that weren't/couldn't be featured in the Inside Crochet version for various reasons (space, style, I hadn't thought of them at the time). There are also various errata in the Inside Crochet pattern which, though I think I've now written out corrections for all of them on the Ravelry pattern page, do change the flow of the pattern. These errata are also all numerical - in that they represent places where the numbers of the pattern were off. If you think of a pattern as a giant formula for making a cardigan, these were places where the formula was broken - where the numbers given would not work with the cardigan as made. With the corrections, you have the right formula and then create the cardigan<br /><br />But what I've endeavoured to do with the rewritten pattern is fix areas where the cardigan didn't fit properly. This isn't a numerical errata problem- the numbers were all right, but there are places where the back was a bit wide or the cardigan fell off the shoulders. These are things that I only discovered once people started making the cardigan, and I made my own version. When I was setting out to publish the pattern, I thought that it would be a waste just to republish a pattern that evidently didn't work on all sizes - problems that are minuscule on the Size 34in sample size are much larger on the bigger sizes - such as falling off shoulders etc.<br /><br />So I went back to the very beginning. I made gauge swatches, I made lots of schematics based upon the <a href="http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/womansize.html">Craft Yarn Council's Women's Size Charts</a>&nbsp;and I wrote out all of the body instructions as based upon the numbers that I'd come up with for the schematics. Then I held my breath and crocheted a 42in sample - one that would fit me. And it fitted, all the problems that I'd had before - the back being too big, the shoulders falling off, seem to be solved. I then worked on a new sleeve cap and sleeve shaping design, and added those on. These seem to work too.<br /><br />I then drew lots and lots of charts to try and explain the potentially confusing parts. As a visual crocheter, I rely a lot on charts and was somewhat disappointed that Inside Crochet didn't include the charts that I'd sent with the pattern (although they were a bit rubbish). All the charts in the Ravelry pattern are hand drawn - I decided to do this rather than doing them on the computer as it was easier both to do and to correct mistakes. As I go along, I always draw charts for the tricky bits (neckline shaping!) and so I'm very fluent in hand drawing charts. I found some good felt tips to draw them out and I think what I've drawn is very clear - in an ideal world, of course I'd like perfect, computer drawn charts. But I couldn't find a way to computer draw them without them looking very pixelly, and being difficult to resize.<br /><br />Anyway, this version of the pattern should be a big improvement. The sample is truly a joy to wear - it's possibly the first crocheted cardigan that I've made for myself where I don't sit and mentally edit what I would change with it while I am wearing it.</div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6056249122/" title="DSC_1554 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_1554" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6208/6056249122_05e0c8bdf5.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><br />My Dad took the photos for me in the Isle of Wight. As you can see from the photos, it was very, very windy! In most of the photos, my hair looks awful, though my Mum was on hand with a brush every time it got too out of hand! It was a really beautiful location - near St Catherine's Oratory. There are lots more photos of the cardigan in a set I've made on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/sets/72157627338118203/with/6056249122/">Flickr.</a><br /><br />I think that's all I want to say about the cardigan now! I'm planning a workbook/textbook/primer (?!) on crochet lace cardigans- &nbsp;how to fit crochet lace into schematics, working out how to decrease crochet lace, that sort of thing. I've also got quite a few stitch patterns that I want to work with to explain all this. But it's very intimidating (the idea of trying to teach and explain something rather than just write a pattern), and I'm not sure if I have time to do it. However, it is the sort of information that I would like to be out there and available, and well, someone's got to do it!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/badges/redirect?p=esmee-cardigan"><img src="http://api.ravelry.com/badges/projects?p=esmee-cardigan&amp;t=.gif" style="border: none;" /></a>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-80522178744302918782011-08-08T22:10:00.000+01:002012-10-04T16:34:11.366+01:00Isle of WightI've been to the Isle of Wight over the weekend. My parents are on holiday there for the fortnight, I joined them for the middle weekend and together we attempted to visit most of the English Heritage properties on the island (we're members). I also got my Dad, with his fancy camera, to take some pictures of the revamped Esmée. I'm going to start drawing the charts tomorrow, but I won't be able to publish it properly at least until next weekend as I have to wait for my parents to come home to get the photos - it took my Dad nearly two hours to send me just three photos.<br /><br />There are more photos of the Isle of Wight on my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/">flickr.</a><br /><br /><b>Osborne House</b><br /><b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6022790437/" title="Flowers at Osborne House by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Flowers at Osborne House" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6139/6022790437_014081491c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /></b><br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6022785549/" title="Flowers at Osborne House by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Flowers at Osborne House" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6073/6022785549_a09c347389.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /></b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6022774849/" title="Osborne House by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Osborne House" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6080/6022774849_b68494383c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6023530642/" title="Flowers at Osborne House by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Flowers at Osborne House" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6078/6023530642_29e9d54fe8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><b>Carisbrooke Castle</b><br /><b><br /></b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6023312976/" title="Flowers at Carisbrooke Castle by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Flowers at Carisbrooke Castle" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6149/6023312976_74c024df06.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><b><br /></b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6022762425/" title="Flowers at Carisbrooke Castle by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Flowers at Carisbrooke Castle" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6121/6022762425_5ff2453cdf.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6023315788/" title="Carisbrooke Castle by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Carisbrooke Castle" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6200/6023315788_5045fcdd01.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><b>Esmée Cardigan</b><br /><b><br /></b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/6021846017/" title="DSC_1553s by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_1553s" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6076/6021846017_6342083133.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><b><br /></b>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-50467435974478236852011-07-31T23:36:00.000+01:002011-07-31T23:36:17.023+01:00Where July wentThis is a short post with a few photos. My July has been full of graduation, holiday with friends, family gathering, helping cook on a summer camp for teenagers in Norfolk, and working on the Esmée pattern. Aside from Esmée, most of my crafting time (which was few and far between) has been limited to knitting a laceweight shawl - an easy, small, travelling project which is far from finished.<br /><br />The Esmée pattern is going well - I've written up everything except the arm instructions, and am halfway through making a 42in sample. The most exciting part of this sample is that I've just measured it, and the bust measurement comes to 43in - exactly what I was aiming for, so hopefully these new instructions are right. They seem to be working so far, which is very encouraging.<br /><br />Here's a few photos from Norfolk to appease skim readers, both were taken at Weybourne beach:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5995855096/" title="DSCF3436 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3436" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6025/5995855096_13c0b25d16.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5995857740/" title="DSCF3448 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3448" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6131/5995857740_af9acb067a.jpg" width="375" /></a>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-1622972953038595352011-06-21T20:46:00.000+01:002011-06-21T20:46:33.558+01:00SwatchesI've finished my exams and am proceeding through the curious Cambridge experience known as May Week. May Week is a deceptive title, as it actually lasts about ten days and is in June. It's basically the week between everyone's exams finishing and having to go home, and is full of lavish May Balls, garden parties, lying in the sun (or rain, as it has been this week) and spending time with friends. We went to see Trinity May Ball's fireworks last night - which were sublime with fireworks, coloured fountains and balls of flame set to music, but also quite obscene in the amount of money they must have spent on it. Tonight we're planning to go and see St John's College's May Ball's (their 500 year anniversary May Ball, no less) fireworks. These fireworks are as close as we can get to the May Balls (tickets are expensive and nigh on impossible to get hold of) so we're hoping that they're going to be good.<br /><br />Aside from firework watching, on the few spare moments, I've been trying to update and alter my <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.com/search/label/esmee%20cardigan">Esmée </a>pattern. Crocheting from the pattern for myself meant that I've identified many areas where I think it needs altering, and thus have decided to start from scratch. I've drawn schematics for each size, and am working from them to try and get the right sizing. But in some ways, this is a bit of a headache - I'm changing the neckline decreases, and this seems to require different instructions for each size and ack! I'm still plagued by doubt that I will get it wrong again, but, I know that lots of people responded positively to the look of the pattern, so I'd love to get the pattern itself right for when I can self-publish it.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5857249613/" title="DSCF3303 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3303" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2739/5857249613_240c6bcce9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />While I was revising however, I had put Esmée to the back of my mind, and my crocheting was focussed on the follow-on project for when I finish the Esmée pattern. I don't want to say too much about it now, but it has involved crocheting a lot of swatches.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5857800952/" title="DSCF3326 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3326" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2680/5857800952_435e26ac87.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />I'm quite excited about it - but I know that the hard work of getting the written Esmée pattern right has to be done before it. As blogging about 'ack! neckline decreases' is a little boring, I thought that I would just post up some pictures of swatches to amuse the eye. And as the weather finally appears fine, and I and my friends now have lots of free time, I intend to get photographs of Esmée 2 and my Ashfield Cardigan in a lovely location.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5857249241/" title="DSCF3296 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3296" height="375" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/5857249241_1a2f9fdfcb.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />And to keep working on those neckline decreases.Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-20268136656920484432011-06-09T21:00:00.000+01:002011-06-09T21:00:46.227+01:00Flowers and finishingOn Tuesday, my friend gave me some yellow roses for having completed half my exams. I, similarly, had given her flowers a week before for her own halfway point. The flowers I gave (nearly two weeks ago now), are Sweet Williams. They were 2 for 1, so I took half (the bunches were huge) and have survived and thus are now mixed with the roses in two makeshift vases in my room. I'm not sure if I would have bought yellow roses and pink and red Sweet Williams together, but they do look lovely.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5815299130/" title="DSCF3200 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3200" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2412/5815299130_d577174bd7.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5814731307/" title="DSCF3196 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3196" height="180" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2610/5814731307_fec14385c8_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><br />In less than a week, I will have finished my exams and thus all the work for my degree. The prospect is both terrifying and exciting.<br /><br />In the spirit of finishing things, today I finished my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/lowenek/zany">'Zany' tunic</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5815305360/" title="DSCF3218 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3218" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2267/5815305360_01954e0e30.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />It's based upon a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/zany">design by Robyn Chachula</a> that was in Inside Crochet number 2. I started it in August 2009, &nbsp;intending to make it as a tunic. I did most of the legwork then, but got distracted and bored and never finished it.&nbsp;My longest UFO - but as the yarn is Rowan Pure Wool DK - soft and luscious against the skin, I knew that it would be a waste never to make anything of it. Unfortunately, all the cut ends required to make the motifs meant that I couldn't unravel it.&nbsp;In April, as I was sorting out my project box to come back to uni, I pulled out the half finished tunic and looked at it, pulled it, and realised that if I unwound some of the motifs and rearranged them, then I could make a rectangular throw. I'm not really an afghan/blanket making person - but as this project was basically already done, I guessed that it wouldn't take me too long to rearrange the sleeve motifs into a rectangle. Except that I got distracted by Esmée 2 and the Ashfield Cardigan, and didn't actually get round to doing this until today.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5815305876/" title="DSCF3221 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3221" height="375" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3363/5815305876_cfbd79fb34.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />It only took about two hours - one for reattaching the motifs, and another for sewing in all the ends that you can see in the first picture. It is now blocking on my bedroom floor - on the space between my bed and the chest of drawers. But I thought that I would post about it now, while I have the inclination and enthusiasm. Anyway, it's a project that I started after the summer of my first year of university, and have finished in the third and final year. Hooray for finishing!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5814737537/" title="DSCF3226 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3226" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/5814737537_a1a4b98a4f.jpg" width="500" /></a>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-47822085169246982612011-05-26T14:40:00.000+01:002011-05-26T14:40:47.675+01:00Pretty (posh) YarnAt the moment, I'm in the midst of revision for my final university exams. It's scary how quickly it's been from a trembling fresher to a trembling finalist. So much of my time is spent rereading notes, writing essay plans and avoiding actually doing work by knitting, browsing online. However, updating the blog feels like a public confession that I am not actually working at that time, so it has been neglected (much better to procrastinate in secret?). I've also been working on projects that don't lend themselves well to blog updates - I could do plenty of pictures of my half-finished cardigan, lamenting that the second batch of wool I ordered was from a different dye-lot, but I like completeness and so have been holding out until it was finished.<br /><br />On Sunday, however, I managed to be online at the hallowed time of 8pm - also known as the <a href="http://www.poshyarn.co.uk/shop.html">Posh Yarn </a>update time. Like Wollmeise, Posh Yarn posts limited stock that disappears quickly. First, I attempted to purchase a couple of skeins of Sylvia 4-ply in the Land of my Fathers - a green colourway, with the intention of using it to make Esmée #3 (my ideal would be to make an Esmée out of Posh Yarn's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/posh-yarn-esme">Esmé </a>base, but there wasn't any in the update this week). However, trying to buy three skeins proved too much and they were gone by the time that I had filled in my details. So I went back, took a deep breath and chose this:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5761267025/" title="DSCF3160 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3160" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2392/5761267025_5f78a9bbb0.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />It's Posh Yarn Sylvia 2-ply in colourway 'The Street Named Regret'. It's very pretty. It's also lace. And has silk in it. I've never used either before. It feels lovely, but I fear that I may die of boredom winding 875yds.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5761267361/" title="DSCF3162 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3162" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5310/5761267361_d40d6a3dd7.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />I think I want to make a shawl with it (once I have finished the cardigan). I usually choose projects based on the circular needles I have, so does anyone have any suggestions for this yarn using 2.5mm, 3.25mm or 5mm needles (or any crochet hook, sizes 3mm-6mm)?Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-47681587925061782432011-05-03T17:01:00.000+01:002011-05-03T17:01:41.453+01:00Endellion ShawlThis is a project on a Tuesday. Not a tool.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5657809535/" title="DSCF3051 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3051" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5183/5657809535_b756fb91bc.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><br />It was a struggle to photograph the entirety of the shawl, but hopefully you can build up a patchwork picture from the photos that I post. I took lots of photographs of the edging, because I think that it is quite beautiful, less of the garter stitch centre.<br /><br />The Endellion shawl is a hybrid project - a garter stitch centre, based on the centre to the <a href="http://helloknitty.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/multnomah.pdf">Multnomah Shawl</a> by Kate Flagg, and then a crocheted flowery edging based upon the edging to the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/midsummer-nights-shawl">Midsummer Night's Shawl</a> by Lisa Naskrent. It used one skein of Posh Yarn's Pamela in a colourway which I think was called 'Writing My Memoirs', but I'm not quite sure. Suffice to say it is dark blue, with 5% Stellina sparkle incorporated into the yarn. Initially, I was somewhat wary of a 'sparkly' yarn (they seem ubiquitous in UK indie dyers at the moment), but the sparkle isn't very obvious - it just gives it something a little magical when it catches the light, rather than looking like it has an obvious plastic strand in the yarn.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5658381590/" title="DSCF3050 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3050" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5027/5658381590_0e8f192e88.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The intention with doing a hybrid knit-crochet project was to get the most out of both crafts - I wanted it to be densely stitched in the centre - hence the garter stitch, but lacy at the edge. I also wanted to take advantage of the low yardage and easier drape that you can achieve with dense stitches in knitting, so that there was more yarn left for the lacy crocheted flowers at the edge. I also wanted something slightly mindless at the beginning.<br /><br />If you want to recreate the Endellion Shawl, then this is a rough guide: you'll need to knit the Multnomah centre until you have about 220 sts, then switch to looking at the Midsummer Night's pattern. I did three rows (because I hadn't got enough sts, but just do as many rows as you need to get the right number) of dc, adding increases at the centre like on the pattern (the chart is super helpful). Then I did Rows 5-7 of the edging twice, if you look atht the picture above, then you'll be able to see how I added extra increases at the centre.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5658378602/" title="DSCF3030 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3030" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5181/5658378602_396b8fb38b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />This was a fun project- slightly mindless with all the garter stitch, but a great piece of problem solving to work out how to make the edging work. It also reminded me how awful I am at guessing how much yarn is left in a ball - I only did the edging once as I thought that I was about to run out, so I bound off. Then I realised that I had a sizable ball left so I decided to keep crocheting until I ran out - which was almost exactly after I'd done a whole repeat of Rows 5-7. Perfect!Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-51344737652451016942011-04-26T17:44:00.000+01:002011-04-26T17:44:41.733+01:00Tools on Tuesdays (2- Needles)The second tools on Tuesdays post is looking at needles. I've been weaving in the ends of my Esmée Cardigan #2 and sewing on buttons, and I have really appreciated having a decent needles to do this. Unlike scissors, where you can stretch and snap the yarn with your fingers, it's much more difficult to weave in ends without a needle.<br /><br />These are my needles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5634078855/" title="DSCF3008 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3008" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5062/5634078855_f35bb29492_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />You can tell by the arrangement of my needle case that I am not very organised. There are meant to be four pieces of felt or pages that you can turn over, but my needles go all the way through and stick them all together. They have been accumulated over the years from various sources - given to me by my Grannie one Christmas (along with the scissors showcased last week), borrowed from my Mum's sewing kit, and inherited from my other Grannie. Until Christmas, they were stored in a slightly tatty 'Singer' sewing case, which I inherited/claimed from my Grannie (I think my Mum might have wanted it, but I spotted that there were some good tapestry needles in it, and it was light and compact, so used it, and then ended up being tidied away with my stitching stash and taken to university). However, for Christmas, my Mum gave me this lovely little sewing case in my stocking.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5634078993/" title="DSCF3004 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3004" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5301/5634078993_91b061bd38.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />As you can tell from the stains that have already accumulated on the front of the case, I take this needle case with me everywhere I take my knitting/crocheting projects. You never know when you might want to sew in a stray piece of yarn, or if, unconnected to your project, someone's button breaks off or their bag rips and they're in need of a sewing needle.<br /><br />I have now finished some projects, so this blog should get a few more updates over the next week or so. (One is photographed, the other is not).Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-77807184932349131062011-04-19T14:25:00.000+01:002011-04-19T14:25:25.951+01:00Tools on Tuesdays (1- Scissors)The title suggests that this will be a regular feature. I'm not sure if it will (I have two posts planned at the moment), but as a title then it has good alliteration and rhythm, so I'm keeping it that way.<br /><br />Tools, the objects that we use to create crafts, are often overlooked. I have a tendency to imagine everyone crocheting with exactly the same crochet hooks that I have, cutting the yarn with the same scissors, using the same needles etc. Obviously that's not right, so this post is just to highlight what I personally use as my tools - feel free to post your own version in the comments or on your own blog. Also, I find that the tools I use have much more interesting stories behind them than the yarn that I buy or the patterns I use.<br /><br />I'm starting with scissors, partly because I started reusing some lovely scissors that my Grannie gave me, partly because they're quite useful and universal.<br /><br />These are the scissors that I am using at the moment:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5634708512/" title="DSCF3011 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3011" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5301/5634708512_f8d2771afe.jpg" width="446" /></a><br /><br />As I wrote above, these were given to me by my Grannie (my Dad's mother). It was probably about 5 or 6 years ago, before I was into crochet. I enjoyed cross-stitching and sewing, and I had asked for a sewing box and some embroidery thread for Christmas. My Grannie included with the sewing box this pair of scissors. I rediscovered them last weekend when I was&nbsp;reorganizing&nbsp;my yarn to take it back to uni.<br /><br />Usually, I use nail scissors to cut my yarn as I find normal sized scissors too large and unwieldy. This pair of scissors are the same size but a little sharper, and a little more precise.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5634079333/" title="DSCF3016 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF3016" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5634079333_2da650c745.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />I really like the design on the handles The curl where the ring joins the shaft &nbsp;(I think I've just made up those words...) really reminds me of Anglo-Saxon/Scandinavian metalwork - I half expect the blades to be carved in the shape of a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thorskegga/5436583101/">bird's head</a>.Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-68415601493090413382011-04-14T22:48:00.000+01:002012-10-04T17:40:16.300+01:00YorkMy Mum and I went to York last weekend. It was lovely - really sunny, so much history. We were able to spend the whole weekend going to 'medieval' sites: York Minster, Jorvik, Micklegate Bar, Barley Hall, the Yorkshire Museum, Clifford's Tower, the York Castle Museum. I was really impressed by the high standard of the museums - nearly all were recently renovated or renewed, with passionate staff and informative, sensible displays.<br /><br />I was also able to buy some Yorkshire wool in a grey colour, which will hopefully make a summer birthday gift for my brother. His favourite colour is 'sludge', but he will wear grey as well.<br /><br />In the meantime, I'm remaking my Esmée cardigan for me, and am recording my progress on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/lowenek/esmee-cardigan-2">Ravelry</a>.<br /><br />Here are some pictures:<br /><br />York Minster:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5619774917/" title="York Minster by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="York Minster" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5102/5619774917_eb3d6489e3.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5620362226/" title="York Minster by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="York Minster" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5620362226_5dc16162fd.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Ruins of St Mary's Abbey:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5619778607/" title="Ruins of St Mary's Abbey, York by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Ruins of St Mary's Abbey, York" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5619778607_16c6707eb3.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />River Ouse:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5620365804/" title="River Ouse, York by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="River Ouse, York" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5620365804_9d3c77d74a.jpg" width="500" /></a>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-57704001300548669922011-04-03T20:53:00.000+01:002011-04-03T20:56:21.986+01:00The Aphra CollectionThe <i>Aphra Collection</i> available as a free&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/dls/the-arboretum/62666?filename=aphra_collection.pdf">pdf download from Ravelry</a>&nbsp;(clicking will download pattern) contains instructions for a hat pattern (with further instructions for optional colourwork striping) and a cowl pattern, which use purl bumps to create interest. They're very simple - just knit and purl, and all they require are counting to get the right pattern.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5585599965/" title="DSCF2850 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2850" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5295/5585599965_c4701625ef.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><i>Striped Hat</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5585627997/" title="DSCF2872 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2872" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5011/5585627997_34659ed265.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><i>Plain Hat and Cowl</i><br /><br />Normally, I publish my patterns on the blog, but this time, I thought that with my first knit patterns that I would stretch my wings and try putting up a pdf on Ravelry. If you want to make only the cowl then you can download that <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/dls/the-arboretum/62667?filename=aphra_cowl.pdf">page of the pdf separately.</a>&nbsp;(clicking will download pattern)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5586171326/" title="DSCF2889 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2889" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5292/5586171326_3f7eb44ce5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><i>Cowl</i><br /><i><br /></i><br />This is the pattern which came out of <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.com/2011/03/inspiration-9311.html">this inspiration post.</a>&nbsp;Very different from damask and porcelain. The porcelain came from the colours - the white of the Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Simply Taupe and the dark blue of the madelinetosh eyre in Fathom, the damask from the person that I was designing for. But I couldn't get my damask charts to work properly - it would work on a larger canvas, but not a hat. I've been really inspired by the work of <a href="http://cecilyam.wordpress.com/">Cecily Glowik MacDonald</a>&nbsp;- the real (or at least, perceived) simplicity of her patterns. So I wondered, what I can do with just knit and purl?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5585602475/" title="DSCF2855 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2855" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5585602475_7259c40c65.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The Aphra collection was what I produced. I love counting and internal logic, so in this case, the distance between the row of purl bumps increases by one each time. In the case of the Striped Hat, there is a switch from white being the majority colour at the bottom, to blue at the top.<br /><br /><br />Aphra Hat:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/badges/redirect?p=aphra-hat"><img src="http://api.ravelry.com/badges/projects?p=aphra-hat&amp;t=.gif" style="border: none;" /></a><br /><br />Aphra Cowl:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/badges/redirect?p=aphra-cowl"><img src="http://api.ravelry.com/badges/projects?p=aphra-cowl&amp;t=.gif" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial;" /></a>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-45300941731000093552011-03-29T18:40:00.000+01:002011-03-29T18:40:04.494+01:00Multnomah Shawl (and Flamies)This post is mainly about my experience knitting the<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/multnomah"> Multnomah </a>shawl. But before I do that, I'm going to point you towards the<a href="http://www.crochetliberationfront.com/2011/03/2363/"> Crochet&nbsp;&nbsp;Liberation Front's annual Flamie Awards</a>, where my Esmée Cardigan has been nominated for 'Best Design - Adult Garments'. Looking down the list of nominations in the <a href="http://www.crochetliberationfront.com/2011-flamie-award-nominees/">voters' guide</a>, its a great list of some of the best designs and contributions to the crochet world over the past year. And being the Crochet Liberation Front, it does make me a little sad that I'm tacking it onto a post about knitting. But I'm somewhat shy about 'vote for me!' self-promotion (which is why it has taken me until the end of the voting period to actually make this post), and I didn't want to put it on a stand-alone post. And crocheters, do not fear, I am crocheting as I type this post (well, during thinking time), so I should have some crocheted loveliness to post up soon. Also, I'm going to rework the Esmée Cardigan for self-publishing in the summer once I get the rights back, so my brain will be switching to more thoughts about crochet over the coming months (as well as lots and lots of thoughts about final exams).<br /><br />Anyway, onto Multnomah.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5571179699/" title="DSCF2799 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2799" height="371" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/5571179699_f375562974.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />It was quite a pleasing knit, all in all. I used almost a whole skein of Wollmeise Sockenwolle 80/20 Twin We're Different in Pfefferminz Prinz, and 3.25mm needles.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5571737156/" title="DSCF2776 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2776" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5303/5571737156_b9266dee61.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The needles provided the only problem for the knit. When I started, I only had my 3.25mm circular needles with a 30cm cord. These are some old needles that I inherited from my grandmother - so they're a little sticky, and the cord isn't particularly flexible. Also, despite measuring them in a needle gauge, I still wasn't sure if they were 3.25mm. The pattern told me that I would need a longer cord so I promptly ordered some nice Addi premiums online with a 100cm cord. They took longer than expected to arrive, by which time I had a nicely scrunched up shawl on the little circulars, having reached almost the edge of the garter stitch section. Thankfully, when the needles arrived then they were the same size as those I had already been using, and the shawl doesn't seem to show any evidence that two different needles were used.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5571221137/" title="DSCF2803 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2803" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5230/5571221137_1492dcd0ff.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />It was quite mindless, especially the garter section. The feather and fan provided some interest, but it suited the end of term, when I didn't really want to be spending a lot of my time focussing upon my knitting.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5571731568/" title="DSCF2773 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2773" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5298/5571731568_ee97759ef6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />As you can see in the above photo, the variegated yarn striped or changed colour nicely, without any large patches of pooling.<br /><br />One of the next posts will hopefully contain one of the two knitting patterns I have ready to go - I've typed it all out, reknitted it, and am now just waiting for a sunny day when I can photograph my samples.Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-73098399830167445472011-03-09T10:43:00.000+00:002011-03-09T10:43:03.480+00:00Inspiration (9/3/11)This is a photo-heavy post, showing my current inspirations. I'm attempting to design a stranded colourwork knit hat.<br /><br /><b>Damask</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RqpxcR7SMgQ/TXdXGm-5KkI/AAAAAAAAAEk/_iwUtk7LgpQ/s1600/damask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RqpxcR7SMgQ/TXdXGm-5KkI/AAAAAAAAAEk/_iwUtk7LgpQ/s1600/damask.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From <a href="http://www.lauraashley.com/duck-egg+blues/tatton-damask-wallpaper-duck-eggnatural/invt/3453448/">Laura Ashley</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W_CB-jNKf-Y/TXdXrJxrPxI/AAAAAAAAAEo/bVcj9iBkVS4/s1600/damssk2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W_CB-jNKf-Y/TXdXrJxrPxI/AAAAAAAAAEo/bVcj9iBkVS4/s320/damssk2.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From <a href="http://www.grahambrown.com/us/product/30-387/Vintage+Flock:+Pearl+-+Black+Wallpaper;jsessionid=87961B760B8427F498469D775B74DB99">Graham Brown</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Blue-and-white Porcelain</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vY6JDopM7yM/TXdYSjvjXNI/AAAAAAAAAEw/sfosIuOPC3s/s1600/blueandwhit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vY6JDopM7yM/TXdYSjvjXNI/AAAAAAAAAEw/sfosIuOPC3s/s320/blueandwhit3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jw0AjfXl_6c/TXdY_Qx6DfI/AAAAAAAAAE0/TOFU6Um7si4/s1600/blueandwhit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jw0AjfXl_6c/TXdY_Qx6DfI/AAAAAAAAAE0/TOFU6Um7si4/s320/blueandwhit2.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Z8j3s3AuNeQ/TXdYKJ9WqGI/AAAAAAAAAEs/XJp5VOPggME/s1600/blueandwhite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Z8j3s3AuNeQ/TXdYKJ9WqGI/AAAAAAAAAEs/XJp5VOPggME/s320/blueandwhite.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All from <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page">Wikimedia Commons</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Neither damask nor blue-and-white porcelain are anything that I've really been interested in before, so I'm having lots of fun researching them, and trying to work out how to convert their designs into charts.</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-78125007501222503592011-03-05T20:41:00.000+00:002011-03-05T20:51:35.660+00:00Kiwi Crochet PatternI agreed to crochet a kiwi (bird) for the college magazine, as kiwi is the magazine's mascot. I had to write out the pattern, so I thought that I would post it here as well. The head+body of my kiwi measures approximately 7in, but gauge is not particularly important.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5498828635/" title="DSCF2724 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2724" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5498828635_fc8bdc14d2.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Notions:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">30g of brown yarn (I used Wendy Mode DK)</div><div class="MsoNormal">5g of golden yarn (I used Jarol Heritage DK) </div><div class="MsoNormal">4mm crochet hook</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 black beads for eyes, and a little bit of sewing thread to sew them on</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tapestry needle</div><div class="MsoNormal">Stuffing (polyester fuzz)<br /><br /><b>Skills required:</b><br />Single crochet, single crochet 2 together, crochet in the round, magic ring, slip stitch, sewing</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Uses US crochet terms – ch=chain, sl=slip stitch, sc=single crochet, sc2tog= single crochet two stitches together, st=stitch. One stitch is placed in each stitch around unless indicated (such as by 2sc in nxt st).</div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5498828765/" title="DSCF2728 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2728" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/5498828765_b3abc18651_m.jpg" width="180" /></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Body:<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Ch6, magic ring. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Increase Round 1: 2sc in each st 6 times round (12 sts total)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rd 2: *1sc, 2sc in nxt st*, repeat *to* 5 times (18 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rd 3: *2sc, 2sc in nxt st*, repeat *to* 5 times (24 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rd 4: *3sc, 2sc in nxt st*, repeat *to* 5 times (30 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rd 5: *4sc, 2sc in nxt st*, repeat *to* 5 times (36 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sc around until body is 3 inches long.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Decrease Rd 1: *4sc, sc2tog*, repeat *to* 5 times (30 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rd 2: *3sc, sc2tog*, repeat *to* 5 times (24 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rd 3: 6sc *sc2tog, 2sc*, repeat *to* 3 times (18 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rd 4: sc2tog, 4sc, *sc2tog, 1sc* repeat *to* twice, sc2tog (12 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bind off<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Head:<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Ch4, magic ring</div><div class="MsoNormal">Inc Rd 1: 2sc in each st 4 times round (8 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rd 2: *1sc, 2sc in nxt st*, repeat *to* 3 times (12 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rd 3: *2sc, 2sc in nxt st*, repeat *to* 3 times (16 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rd 4: *3sc, 2sc in nxt st*, repeat *to* 3 times (20 sts)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sc around even for 4 rounds</div><div class="MsoNormal">Decreases: repeat *3sc, sc2tog* until 12 sts remain</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bind off. Stuff head and body. Sew head to body.<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leg:<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Ch3, join in 1<sup>st</sup> ch</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sc round for 2.5 in. Bind off.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Claw: Repeat as above, but sc round for 1in. Attach to leg 1in up with sl sts. Bind off.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Repeat for second leg. Sew to body.<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beak:<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Ch5, sc around for 3 in. Then 2sc in every other st until have 13 sts. Bind off. Sew to head.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sew on eyes. Marvel at creation.<br /><br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5499424022/" title="DSCF2738 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2738" height="147" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5216/5499424022_3ba13b6144_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/badges/redirect?p=kiwi-2"><img src="http://api.ravelry.com/badges/projects?p=kiwi-2&amp;t=.gif" style="border: none;" /></a>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-91199114105331390442011-02-25T22:51:00.000+00:002011-02-25T22:51:00.234+00:00Something fishy<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5465862207/" title="Fishy Hat by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Fishy Hat" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5051/5465862207_b691f5a449.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Often I plan patterns, but upon stitching, they do not turn out how I'd hoped. They'll be too small, too big or the pattern will be stretched out in some way that doesn't display it the way that I'd hoped. <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/lowenek/fishy-hat">Fishy Hat</a> is the second hat I tried to make for a friend. The first - which was to have curling cables and be made of squishy Malabrigo Worsted, fell by the wayside when I realised that I hadn't planned how to do the decreases properly, and had started them too early - ending up with more of a scull cap than an ear covering hat. For my second attempt, I decided I wanted to have a go at stranded colourwork, and the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/whale-watch-hat">Whale Watch Hat</a> from New England Knits caught my eye.<br /><br />But I didn't have lots of different colours of yarn, and really I wanted to make a beanie not a beret. So I looked up some simple beret patterns, realised that I had eight inches or so of the same number of stitches before decreases and then found a knitting chart. Armed with the fill bucket on paint, I set about creating my pattern.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5472438830/" title="Fishy Hat by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Fishy Hat" height="412" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5472438830_9d75867fbd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />I decided to have 80 stitches in the round, which would be subdivided into a repeated pattern of 20 stitches. I decided to have a zig-zag along the bottom and then some squares and pluses. I was in an irregular mood, so I made it so that they did not fit exactly into the zig-zag. Then the whales from the Whale Watch Hat, which I squished together into 20 stitches. Originally, I was intending to have two rows of whales, facing opposite directions. However, once I'd done the first row of whales, I was already at 5 inches and decided for space reasons that a single row of whales would be fine.<br /><br />Above that I did a dividing line, and then the fish! I spent quite a lot of time looking at other colourwork charts of fish, before making up my own. Now I wonder if I should have made the fish bigger &nbsp;- it is a little unclear what they are. However, in comparison to the whales, these are HUGE fish. Above that I did a triangle pattern to look a bit like waves.<br /><br />To finish off with (and because I hadn't charted a pattern for the decreases), I decided to do stripes of grey and blue while decreasing. I like how they turned out.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5465861201/" title="Fishy Hat by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Fishy Hat" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5173/5465861201_d6aa597bb9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The blue and grey yarn came from random stash diving. The blue is Palette Vintage in Enamel left over from the <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.com/2009/12/skai-fingerless-gloves.html">Skaði Fingerless gloves</a> I made last December. This is the yarn that goes on and on - I bought three skeins to make the gloves. Used one skein. Since then I've used it to make various squares on my blanket, as well as this hat. I still have one and a bit skeins left. It's soy and wool, so is shiny and pretty. The grey is the Debbie Bliss Fez left over from the swatch I made from the Fairfield Cardigan, so it has camel hair and merino, fluffy and soft. They make a good pair.<br /><br />Anyway, I've sat on this pattern for a few days and finally given it to its recipient (after a Bible study on Jonah no less, not planned but quite apt), and I still like it. I'm still very happy with it - the whales and the fish are just &nbsp;so cheerful, and the colours, despite being bought a year apart with very different intentions in mind, work so well together.Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-79312775754083624382011-02-23T22:50:00.000+00:002011-02-23T22:50:45.934+00:00Following a pattern verbatimFollowing a pattern verbatim - as is written - is not something that I do very often. As I have become more confident in my knitting and crocheting skills, I'm much more inclined to look at a pattern and decide the bits that I like and ignore the bits that I don't. So I'll take a stitch pattern from one place and incorporate it into a different style cardigan, as I did with <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.com/2010/12/esmee-cardigan-inside-crochet-and-tiny.html">Lila</a>, or I'll just knit the lace from a larger pattern, as I did with the <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.com/2011/02/its-all-about-colours-here.html">Red Scarf</a>&nbsp;or I'll take some colourwork and incorporate it into a different design, as with the Fishy Hat (to be blogged). I enjoy the creative and problem-solving processes that go behind taking design elements that I like from one pattern, and incorporating them into something that suits what I want to make.<br /><br />In some ways, that makes me a bad pattern follower - I normally look at charts and stitch patterns, and work out construction from there so I don't have to worry about following someone else's logic for construction. In a bid to get better at this, and because I happened to have a spare ball of the yarn specified in the pattern, I decided to make the<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/brattleboro-hat"> Brattleboro Hat </a>from the frequently mentioned book on this blog, New England Knits (from the frequency that I mention this book, you could guess that I don't have any other knitting books. In some ways, this is correct - I have 'Knitting in Plain English' which only has three patterns, a cardigan heavy copy of 'Knitscene', and KAL Media's 'Knitting Collection', these are great, but none have the winsome, inspiring beauty of New England Knits).<br /><br />I had a ball of Malabrigo Worsted in Lettuce, bought from <a href="http://twistyarns.co.uk/shop/yarn/malabrigo/malabrigo-worsted">Twist Yarns</a>. Lettuce is an interesting colour - the name is apt. You could imagine it adorning a salad. It's bright and cheerful, and just a little bit garish. But it complements my <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.com/2011/01/knotty-gloves-and-wollmeise.html">Knotty</a> gloves magnificently, so that's why I chose to make the hat out of it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5468416329/" title="Brattleboro Hat by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Brattleboro Hat" height="188" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/5468416329_c77fc719eb_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><br />As I mentioned in a previous post, my <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.com/2011/02/its-all-about-colours-here.html">Green Hat</a>&nbsp;ended up a little too small. The Brattleboro Hat (and I've worn it almost every day since I finished it about 2 weeks ago), is the perfect size. By which I mean that it covers my ears. For me, the whole function of a hat is for it to cover my ears. They are what I want to keep out of the wind.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5466446800/" title="Brattleboro Hat by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Brattleboro Hat" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5220/5466446800_596d21697e.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />I have an exciting button tin, full of buttons inherited from my Mother/Grandmother/Great-Aunt. I tried several of the buttons with the hat, but in the end I decided to go with some left over blue buttons from the Esmée Cardigan. I think that they tie the hat in with my blue scarf and teal gloves.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5466445662/" title="Brattleboro Hat by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Brattleboro Hat" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/5466445662_aa9b233715.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />These pictures depict a slightly crumpled hat - that is because it has been balled up in my pocket all week, not pristine and straight from the needles. Anyway, I have now completed my triumvirate of hat-scarf-gloves so most of the projects I have worked on since then have been for other people.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5471818047/" title="DSCF2676 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2676" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5298/5471818047_13fc238896_m.jpg" width="173" /></a>Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7030586740317254687.post-28746086643617981352011-02-22T01:32:00.000+00:002011-02-22T01:32:00.271+00:00I forgot a colour.Blue scarf.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5453399119/" title="DSCF2579 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2579" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5219/5453399119_9291604a39.jpg" width="347" /></a><br /><br />Blue scarf is a hybrid. A crossbreed. A mongrel. At first glance, you think that it is just one pattern. A comforting popular pattern. <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/PATTkernel.php">Kernel from Knitty.</a>&nbsp;Look there are the kernels. Then you realise that this was the first lace project that this crafter made, and that the kernels aren't always kernels, the yarn overs are misplaced and sometimes there are extra k2togs.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5453955412/" title="DSCF2576 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2576" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5215/5453955412_49f44322f7.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />And upon further inspections you find that there is a join. Hastily, messily stitched, this kernelly scarf has been attached to another.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5454043058/" title="DSCF2572 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2572" height="380" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/5454043058_22e6cac212.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Terrifying.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5454053958/" title="DSCF2578 by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF2578" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5017/5454053958_45695656d6.jpg" width="344" /></a><br /><br />This other scarf seems to be someone's second lace project. Some representation of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nancy-pygora-merino-lace-scarf">Nancy Pegora Merino Lace Scarf</a>. Cruelly stitched to the Kernel until the join breaks.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemondaisy/5454060292/" title="Nancy Pygora Merino Scarf, not in Pygora Merino by lemondaisy, on Flickr"><img alt="Nancy Pygora Merino Scarf, not in Pygora Merino" height="390" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5171/5454060292_e10a242c59.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />But beloved. This is the scarf style mentioned in my previous post on the <a href="http://the-arboretum.blogspot.com/2011/02/red-scarf.html">red scarf</a>. You can button it up and push the end of the scarf in the gaps and it's perfectly warm. The <a href="http://web.me.com/jondunn/EasyKnits/Yarn_Skinny.html">Easyknits Skinny Semi-solid</a> is a great blend of muted colour, warmth with being cloying and stitch definition. And it's grace to embrace our mistakes &nbsp;-two scarves that ended up too small, stitched together into a wonderfully functional item.Sarah Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461288044696390905noreply@blogger.com0